School Days
by Golden Wattle
Summary: Matthew, the good student, had a crush on Dan, who was almost always in detention. Will they work it out or is this love destined for disaster?
1. Detention

Another Aus X Can.

* * *

**Detention**

Matthew had never been in trouble before. He had never even considered toeing the line between good behaviour and not so good behaviour. The fact that he was now sitting in detention was both a cause of shock to parents and to those all stuck there on the rainy Saturday, who were now whispering amongst themselves. One walked up to him, Alfred, who was being punished for standing on the tables during history and declaring, "I am the hero of all! Bow to me lowlife!" The teacher, as Matthew recalled, told him several times to get back in his seat, but was ignored. He had then proceeded to march up to the front of the classroom and declared that everyone must declare an alliance with him "or face his infinite wrath". Well, needless to say the teacher was not impressed his lesson had been disrupted and had written him up.

"What are you here for?" he asked, looking down at the silent Matthew. As far as he remembered he hadn't done anything wrong, in fact, he was the teacher's pet. He was the ideal student and son; doing homework, chores, and being well behaved and dressed on all occasions. He watched as the other gulped nervously to himself, and flickered his eyes to a brunette at the front of the room, who was at present handling a snake. "Ah", he uttered understandingly. Matthew flickered his eyes back to Alfred fearfully. "You like Dan". Matthew began to stammer, and stared down at his hands. Alfred smiled, and then yelled. "Oi, Dan! Get over here!" Dan turned his head and stuck his tongue out.

"What if I don't wanna?" he asked, grinning mischievously. He turned his back on them both and continued stroking the snake. The teacher that was meant to be supervising, who had long since gone to get a coffee… about half an hour prior, had still not returned. So, it seemed, there was only six of them, including Ivan who was fast asleep in the back after giving up on making them "one" with him, and the two Italian brothers, who were responsible for starting a food fight. Alfred walked up to the other boy at the front, and went to grab him. "Mattie's got something to say!" Dan stood up and sighed, walking towards the still-seated Matthew. He stood, watching him curiously.

"Well?" he asked, green eyes piercing Matthew's baby-blues. He flinched slightly, remembering when he used to be afraid of the other boy. Now, he wanted nothing more than to be close to him, get to know him. And hopefully to find a kindness about him. Matthew sighed.

"I really like you. Would you... like to do something together?" he asked, causing Alfred to slap his forehead with his palm. Dan considered it for a moment, and then nodded his head, smirking slightly.

"Yeah. I have to help out with the animals that were injured in the bushfire. The more help we get, the better", he said, smiling slightly. Matthew flushed happily. _There really is something kind about him. _He nodded his head, only then realizing he hadn't yet replied. "Good. After detention, okay?" Dan went to return to his seat, but then turned around. "Do you have your parents' permission?" Matthew blushed again. He hadn't actually considered that. But his parents were lenient when it came to how long he could stay out, because they trusted him not to do anything wrong.

"It should be fine", he said, smiling. Dan grinned, turning again. "Wait, why are you in detention?" Dan turned back again, and shrugged slightly.

"I brought a snake into class today, and my teacher wasn't impressed", he said with a small laugh. "The old geezer looked like he needed something to bring him back to life". Alfred let out a snort of laughter. He continued. "The snake looked like it needed some help; it was nearly run over by a car". Dan held the snake up, letting Matthew have a good look at it. Matthew's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a small gasp. "Yeah, a real beauty, huh?" he said with a slight smile. Matthew came to his senses. _I'm talking to Dan. Well, not really. But I'm not running away like I usually do._

At that moment the supervising teacher stumbled back in, looking a little worse for wear. Her hair was sticking up at all angles, and her clothes looked like she had been lying down in a gutter. "Have fun miss?" Dan asked with a slight laugh.

"Shut up", she moaned, clutching her head as if she was in pain.

"Aw, miss. You can't talk to your students like that!" Alfred added, making sure to raise his voice to almost a yell. The teacher flinched, and clutched her head even more. "You hung-over miss? Does your head feel like it's about to explode when I yell miss?" The two Italians covered their mouths to smother the laughter. Matthew turned away, and Dan was doubled over. The teacher sat down behind her desk and slammed her head down with a groan of pain. "Miss? Why'd ya hit your head for miss? Should I call a paramedic miss?"

"Shut up you little shit!" she yelled, then whimpering like a child. "You can all go..." she added, finally surrendering. Alfred let out a whoop of joy, and dashed out the door. The brothers followed, laughing, and then Ivan walked out with a casual nod of the head. Dan turned to Matthew.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Matthew nodded his head and stood up, picking up the few things he had brought along. The two of them walked out into hallway, still hearing the sound of rain. "Do you have an umbrella?" Matthew held up the small umbrella that he held in his hand, grateful he had checked the weather report that morning. "Oh, good. Now we might not get wet". He didn't ask if they could share, just seemed to expect it. Matthew wasn't sure whether to be amused or insulted.

They both pushed on the front door at the same time, causing them to turn and grin at each other. Matthew, once outside, opened the umbrella. "Do you have a car or take the bus...?" he asked curiously.

"Actually, it's just down the street so we can walk", Dan replied with a slight nod. He slipped under the umbrella with Matthew, but being slightly taller he found he had to bend his knees a little to fit. "Do you mind if I hold it?" Matthew relinquished the control of the umbrella to Dan, enjoying their closeness. They began to walk at a casual pace, Dan having to go slightly slower because he had longer legs. Matthew found himself paying more attention to the other boy than where he was going, and constantly found himself stumbling on the slightly uneven ground, saved only by Dan's ability to grab him before he fell. "I never knew you were such a klutz", Dan remarked. Matthew blushed, infinitely embarrassed by his inability to walk properly.

"Well, normally I'm not", he replied, intertwining his hands. He felt like such a fool. _Imagine nearly falling on near-flat ground!_ Dan didn't seem too bothered, and simply shrugged it off.

"It doesn't matter", he said. Matthew realized Dan was watching him curiously. "Why did you get a detention anyway?"

Matthew blushed. "I... I broke into the principal's office and broke his vase". Dan stopped walking, letting Matthew get slightly wet.

"Why would you do something like that?" he asked, looking repulsed. _I did it for you, _Matthew wanted to say, but couldn't get his mouth to move. "I thought you were better than that!" He stepped away, handing Matthew his umbrella back. "You might as well go home. I don't want to be near people who do things like that". The blonde reached out to Dan, but his hand was slapped away. "Don't come near me again!" Dan said with ultimatum, walking past.

Matthew stood out in the rain, putting his umbrella away so the rain now fell down his face, mixing with his tears.

_Don't come near me again!_


	2. Monday Jealousies

**Monday Jealousies**

Matthew walked into the classroom cautiously. He had been trying to call Dan the whole weekend but it seemed he was always busy. He wasn't busy, he had quickly realized, hearing the familiar laugh in the background when the Australian's parents had answered each time. It felt horrible, knowing that someone was purposefully avoiding him. And, well, the blonde wasn't sure how he could face the other student. Fixing his glasses, he made his way to his usual seat quietly, dropping his books onto the table with a dull thud. Sitting, he looked around the room, only noticing then that he wasn't the only one that had decided to arrive early. Well, apart from the teacher. He was normally the only one who bothered getting to the classroom early.

In the back row, Dan was busy working on something. Folder open, hand rapidly writing something. Probably his homework for his next class, Matthew decided. At that moment the brunette looked up from the paper, noticing that he was no longer alone. Matthew opened his mouth to say something, only getting "Hey…" out, but then the bell rang, meaning he was quickly silenced as the students filed into the room, taking their seats. Alfred, of course, went and sat in the back with Dan, who greeted him with a grin. I wish he'd smile at me like that, he thought, slightly sourly. Not that he'd ever say that out loud of course.

He quickly turned to face the front again, and continued to for the rest of class. Matthew found himself being slightly more distracted than he usually was. Although he was quite good at this subject, he wasn't really into it at this time. The teacher called on him to answer a question, but the blonde had spaced out too much to respond, and had to be prodded with a sharp pencil by his neighbour. The bell went to indicate that first period was over, which meant Dan would be heading to a different class to him. Matthew turned to glance behind him, realizing that Dan was, oddly enough, being very slow about packing up. He packed his own books up and went to stand near Dan, feeling unsure.

"H…hey Dan", he said in a really soft tone, hoping he sounded casual. Sadly, his voice was so quiet the Australian hadn't heard him, at all. "Dan?" he asked, slightly louder. The other boy looked up from what he was writing, giving Matthew the chance to glance at it. It was his homework, he realized, raising an eyebrow slightly in amusement. "Homework?"

Dan blinked in surprise. He was still slightly annoyed with Mattie for one major reason. Not that he'd admit it, but the boy felt slightly… saddened that he had done something so criminal. "Yes…" he said, closing his book abruptly. Matthew was startled by this sudden action, but didn't move, simply watching as the other boy stood up. "Well… I've got to get to class…" The blonde nodded. He was right. They had classes to get to, and soon. Dan brushed past him, and headed out the door without another word, leaving Matthew to ponder for a moment, before rushing out himself to get to his next class.

He arrived, flustered and a few minutes late, with breathless apologies to the teacher.

* * *

The first break of the day came around, and Dan wandered to his locker happily. The last class was a complete waste of time, but at least he had finished the last bit of his homework to hand in on time. The teacher knew, just by glancing at it, that he'd rushed it, but decidedly didn't say anything about it. Well, that's all right with me! He thought, smiling contently as he put his books away then headed outside. He wasn't feeling hungry at this point, largely because he didn't want to risk running into Matthew again.

He spotted Alfred and waved. "Hey Al!" Alfred looked up from… whatever he was doing and waved back. Probably drawing pictures of himself as a hero, the dipstick. Dan sat down next the blonde, looking at what he was drawing. Yep. There it was, Alfred in a hero cape again. "Again mate? Seriously? Don't you have enough drawings of superhero costumes?"

Alfred looked horrified. "Of course not! I'm trying to decide which costume would look better when I am a hero". Dan simply raised his eyebrows. The guy still dreams of being a superhero? When will he finally grow up? They sat in silence, or Dan did. Alfred spent the next span of time talking about how he will be the best hero ever. It was then that he decided to point out that the American didn't have any super powers to be spoken of. "Yeah, well… Maybe I can get bitten by one of those spiders of yours, like Spiderman! Or lots of radiation, like the Hulk". The brunette couldn't help but slap his forehead with his palm, unable to believe that he had just said that. Is this guy for real? He thought, amazed.

"Mate, those would kill you".

Alfred pondered this for a moment. Dan couldn't believe he had to think about it. Really, anyone would know those would kill a person. Well, except blondie here.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I guess I'll just get cool gadgets like Batman!"

Before he could say anything about how ridiculous that was, he realized Alfred was looking at something curiously. "Al, what are you looking at…?" He turned and glanced in the direction the blonde was, and his jaw dropped slightly and then he frowned in annoyance. There was Matthew studying very intensely, leaning slightly too close for comfort to the person next to him.

The bloody albino.

* * *

Matthew watched Dan's every reaction closely, enjoying his annoyance and slightly obvious jealousy. He gently patted the German's hand; mouth tugging slightly as he tried to suppress the small, satisfied smirk that threatened to spread on his face. "Well done Gilbert! I think you've got it", he said with a small, innocent smile, looking down at the equation he had given him. Gilbert looked pleased and nodded. "Maybe you can do more on your own now…" Although Gilbert wasn't bad at math, in fact, he was okay; he insisted that Matthew helped him. Normally the Canadian brushed him off, but he hoped that this would get Dan to talk to him again. Or at least look at him. The German left, and he clasped his hands together, wondering whether the Australian was going to do anything. He casually glanced up at Alfred again and realized the American was now alone, and sighed. A hand on his shoulder caused him to jump. "Dan?" he asked hopefully. Whoever it was stayed silent for a small amount of time.

"Dan? Why would you want Dan?" someone with a German accent asked. It was Gilbert, back again. He sounded… insulted, upset that someone had hoped he was somebody else. "I was… going to ask if you wanted to go to a movie or something… But… you seem to want somebody else…" He sighed, relieved when the bell finally rang to signal the end of recess.

"Well… ah. Got to get to class…" he said with a weak smile, making a quick escape. That was almost awkward, he thought, relieved when he was finally back inside the building and away from Gilbert. The sad thing was, he was tempted to say yes.

"So, you and the German huh?" a calm voice asked from behind him. A familiar one. He turned around abruptly, looking straight at the ever-so-slightly shorter Dan.

"Ah…ah… Nothing is going on there!" he insisted. He was pleased that he was jealous, but was worried that he had pushed the brunette away. A small 'hmph' sound could be heard from the Australian.

"Didn't look like it to me", he said to the blonde, thinking he was just being shy again. "Well, good luck to the two of you. Well… I have a date, so I figured we could double or something. But I guess you don't have anyone so…". He calmly brushed past him, books already under one arm, and headed to his own class.

Matthew stood for a moment, wondering if he went one step too far with his 'plan'.


	3. After School Study

**After School Study**

Dan walked home at the end of the day slowly, feeling the tingling at the back of his neck. The sensation of being followed. Even though he turned around multiple times, he couldn't see anyone. Maybe an occasional peek of a school blazer, black shoe and once, some strands of blonde hair appeared every now and then, but he never saw the person. Getting near his house, he turned around quickly. However, whoever was following him was already well out of sight. Damn it, he thought, very disappointed. With a sigh, he unlocked his front door and walked inside, shutting it behind him.

He dumped his bag in the doorway, the headed straight for the kitchen. He felt horrible for the way he treated Matthew, but, well, he was disappointed that the Canadian had acted so… oddly. Hell, if the golden boy was going to start acting like a crazy, was it really a good idea for them to even be near each other? Really, he did get detentions, true. But he never did anything like break into offices. And break other people's property. Actually, come to think of it, he had forgotten completely to ask why he'd done that anyway. He poured himself a drink, and pondered this a little more. What would make Mr Goody-Two-Shoes do something so crazy? He took the glass up to his room where he changed out of his uniform. Tugging his shirt on, he was slightly startled to hear a knock at the front door, running to answer it.

"Ah… hello" he said, blinking slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected this guest, and so soon after school? Slightly odd. "Ah, were you following me the way home?

Matthew hadn't wanted to follow Dan. He really didn't. He wasn't a stalker, because that would be just weird right? He had wanted to ask to go to the Australian's house, but didn't know how to after their… somewhat uncomfortable last words. Thankfully he had the excuse of their shared project for history. A group assignment, and fortunately, or unfortunately, the two of them had been stuck together. He laughed slightly tensely. "Ah, yes. Yes I was". With a sigh, Dan moved out of the way and let him through.

"Come on in then", he said. Matthew blinked slightly, startled that he had been allowed in, even without mentioning the project. The door was shut behind him with a thud, which caused him to jump slightly in surprise. "Want a drink?"

"Ah… I don't… drink", he said quietly. The blonde had this false image that Dan was some sort of rebel bad boy that drunk his weight in alcohol, or something like that, whenever his parents went out, which made him slightly terrified when he realized it was just them in the house. The blank expression on the boy's face made him realize he couldn't have been more wrong. Oh dear… he thought, biting his lip lightly, worried that Dan would be angry.

Instead, it was the exact obvious. "I… ah… was talking about water or something…" the Australian said, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly.

Matthew's face flushed slightly in shame. "I…ah… right. Okay", he stammered, worried that he had somehow offended him. "Water… sounds good". Dan simply nodded, getting another glass and filling it with water.

"Here", he said calmly, holding the glass out to the blonde, eyebrow still slightly raised. Matthew took the glass with a sheepish smile. "Oh, and in future. I don't drink at home by myself. Ever". The Canadian nodded, taking a sip of the water. "So, you wanted to work on the project right?"

Matthew nodded. "Yeah, I brought my books and everything", he said, pointing with his chin to the bag still in his arms. Dan smiled slightly, and then indicated to the dining table.

"We'll work here", he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Matthew sat down on another chair, next to the brunette, bag resting on his lap. "Oh right, I need my stuff", he said, standing up and getting his bag from where it lay strewn in the hallway, then his glass from his room. He returned a short while later and simply dropped himself onto the chair, sighing contently.

Matthew pulled his books out his bag, placing them on the table, then placed the bag near his chair. Dan did the same, and then rested his chin on an open palm, looking at the homework task on the paper in front of him, with an expression that could only be described as one of utter bore. "This project is so boring. Why couldn't we do anything interesting?" he grumbled lightly.

Matthew wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Instead, he casually flipped a book open and began to read. Dan frowned, slightly confused by the sudden cold shoulder he was being given. "Ah… Matthew?" he asked. The blonde tilted his head further forward, putting on what looked like a thinking face. Actually, he was still slightly upset for his slip up earlier, and the fact that Dan thought he was dating Gilbert.

Finally, he glanced up at Dan, cheeks flushing slightly. "Ah… Yes?" he asked quietly.

"Are you okay?" Dan asked, concerned. "You're kinda… acting weird…" Matthew stayed quiet, and then took a mouthful of his water, swallowing with a slight choke. He had hoped that he was subtle, but obviously not. I wasn't acting weird! he thought, removing his blazer and hung it over the back of his chair casually.

"I'm… fine", he said, smiling weakly. Dan leaned slightly closer frowning critically. The Canadian flushed slightly. "Ah… absolutely fine. Really. I promise". Dan didn't appear to believe him, but leaned back anyway. They studied quietly, only occasionally asking each other questions and stating their discoveries from the dull texts. They sat there for a while, in almost complete silence, working and completing as much of the project as they could. After some time, Matthew looked up at the window, noticing how long they had been working, then turned to Dan. "I… ah… Dan…" he stammered. Why can't I just say I like him? He wondered, smiling weakly when the Australian looked at him curiously.

"I… think I should go home now…" he said, quietly, packing his books up and putting his blazer back on. "I'll… umm… show myself out". He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Dan's cheek. The other boy stood up quickly, which caused Matthew to blink in surprise, and about to ask what he was doing.

"I'll… walk with you", he said with a nod. Matthew blinked slightly, startled, then nodded, not sure how to best respond to that. Dan stood up and puts his books into a neat, or relatively neat, stack on the table, while Matthew put his into his bag. Neither spoke, not when Dan grabbed his shoes, not when they walked out the door. Almost the entire time they were walking, neither one made a sound.

They got to Matthew's house finally, and the blonde turned to Dan with a small smile. "Thank you…" he said quietly. "Really. I'll… see you tomorrow okay? We'll be talking then right?" The Australian nodded briefly, before the blonde turned and went inside, leaving Dan standing in a state of confusion, before heading back to his own house.


	4. Confession?

This is the final chapter for the fic.

* * *

**Confession?**

Things were much better the following day for both of them. The tensions of yesterday had faded away, and that made Matthew more eager to get to school. Setting his alarm to half an hour earlier with the intention of quite possibly going to see Dan before class. If he didn't, they wouldn't meet until lunchtime, and that was only if the Australian didn't get himself held in due to doing something foolish to annoy his teacher. But knowing the other student fairly well, Matthew had decided that it was fairly likely.

Sitting up, the Canadian rubbed his eyes sleepily, trying to wake himself up. Part of his mind was trying to convince him that rolling over and falling asleep again was a good idea. _Aren't you comfortable here? Isn't it nice and warm in these blankets? And it'll only be for a few minutes, no harm done! You can still go and see Dan before class. Now sleep. Lie down and close your eyes._ Stubbornly resisting, Matthew pulled the blankets back and climbed out of bed, shivering at the sudden cold after the warmth of his bedding. _Well, I suppose a few minutes couldn't hurt…. Ah. No. Focus Matthew. You got up early for a reason. Now pull yourself together and wake up!_ He slapped himself on the face, hoping to pull himself together. "Maybe shouldn't have slapped myself so hard…" he muttered to himself under his breath.

Well, it will be worth it. Won't it?

* * *

Yawning widely, Dan headed into school. He was actually running a bit late, but he didn't really care. _What was a few minutes going to hurt?_ He thought. _And besides, who can learn when you've only just woken up? It's completely mental how early they have us start in the morning_. Yes, that was going to be the next thing he was going to protest. How? Sleeping in every day for however long it took for the school administration to get the message, or until his grades plummeted so much that there was no chance of him passing. Whichever came first. He shuffled into the school building, book bag slung over his shoulder, looking out for anyone he recognised. Sadly, however, Dan was not in luck. All of the other students were in class, except for the few that were also late and those heading on errands for their respective teachers.

Finding his classroom door, the Australian attempted to slink in without being noticed, sitting in the far back row. Pulling his books out of his bag and setting them on the desk, he only then realised that the teacher was staring at him, making her displeasure well and truly known to him. Giving what he hoped was an innocent smile, Dan began copying the notes down from the board quietly, not wanting to annoy the teacher further. Although the Australian would admit that this teacher, unlike most others, was a bit more lenient, he didn't want to push her so far that she wouldn't let the class have any fun at all. Only an idiot would do that, and Daniel Kirkland was most certainly not an idiot.

Glancing out the window into the hallway, he saw Matthew walk on past the classroom, looking somewhat dejected. Head drooped forward so his blonde locks almost completely hid his face; the Canadian would have been unrecognisable was it not for his familiar curl. Dan raised his hand quietly. "Miss, I need to go to get a drink". The teacher realised that her student would likely leave whether she gave her permission or not, and merely nodded. Not hesitating a moment, Dan got to his feet and headed out of the classroom. Watching Matthew round a corner, he decided to yell out at him. "Hey Mattie!"

The blonde paused when he heard his name yelled, peering around the corner curiously to see whom it was. Although there was one part of his mind that told him who it was Dan, he wasn't sure if that was just wishful thinking on his part. Matthew didn't move as the Australian approached him, partially considering turning and walking away. _Maybe it wasn't too late? Pretend I didn't hear him or something?_ Sighing, he realised that there was no way to avoid this encounter. He didn't want to admit it, but this felt slightly awkward. After all, he had gotten up early just so he could see Dan before classes. But was he there? No, of course not. But then again, Dan hadn't actually known this. Maybe if he had, he might have tried to get here earlier?

Matthew put on a smile as Dan stood in front of him. "Oh, hello Dan. Run late again did you?" he asked, attempting to tease the Australian.

Dan merely shrugged, looking at Matthew curiously. "Well, yeah. I almost always do. But what about you? Why are you walking around the halls looking all sad?"

Was he actually worried about me? Matthew wondered, feeling slightly elated at the thought. "Oh… nothing really. I'm just really tired. I got up extra early this morning". For you. Sighing, Matthew decided it was about time to suck up his pride and say something. He could do it right? He had gone through more significant and scary things than telling someone they liked them, so it couldn't be too tough! Plus heaps of people did it every day.

Dan gave a small smile. "Well…. I guess I should probably head back to class. I kinda told my teacher I was gonna get a drink, so someone might come looking for me if I take too long", he said, going to turn and leave. However Matthew's hand, now grabbing his sleeve, made him stop and turn back. "What's wrong Mattie?" he asked, as the Canadian was now silently looking at his own hand grasping the blazer. "Mattie? You aren't sick are you?"

Matthew shook his head silently for a moment, before looking at the Australian straight in the eye. "I'm not sick I just…. Ah. Really… like you…." He said, voice softening a little with every word, so by the end he was barely audible.

The other student tilted his head slightly, looking at Matthew curiously for a moment, trying to figure out what he had just said. Why had he talked so quietly? He wondered, waiting for Matthew to explain more. Instead, however, the Canadian was looking down at his shoes like they were the most interesting things on Earth, glancing up occasionally in hopes of a response. "Ah…. Mattie? I couldn't really hear you, so you have to repeat yourself…" Dan said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Matthew looked up at him curiously, thinking he had been quite easy to hear and understand. "You… talked a bit quietly", Dan added, giving a small smile.

"O… oh. Well… I just said that I really… like you", he repeated, this time a bit more confident.

Dan just stared at him for a moment, wondering what exactly he meant by that. "Ah…Well. We are mates right?" he said, grinning wide. Yeah, that's what he meant right? Good mates. Not like he meant anything else right. But Matthew's dejected sigh said otherwise. Oh, well… That was a pretty awkward mistake to make, Dan thought, looking around a bit.

"Actually… I meant a different kind of… 'like'…" Matthew said, after letting a silence hang for a moment. Leaning back against the nearby lockers, he looked at the Australian and waited for him to say something in response. Dan gave a small smile in return, placing his hand over Matthew's, which was still gripping his blazer. "Like…. Um…." How could he describe it?

"You love me huh?" Dan asked, finally picking up on what Matthew was trying to say. Matthew's cheeks instantly turned scarlet and he gave a sheepish smile. Well, that was fairly blunt, but it was the truth.

"Ah… yeah. I do…" he muttered, glancing around to make sure he wasn't overheard. Seeing they were alone in the hallway, he relaxed slightly. Or as much as he could while anxiously waiting for Dan to say whether he loved him back, or even if he didn't. Matthew was very much hoping it was the former.

Smiling softly, Dan tilted his head down slightly, unsure what to say now. He had never had anyone tell him that they loved him. The fact that it was one of his friends made it all the more awkward. "I like you too, Mattie", Dan replied after a moment. Matthew just looked up at the Australian in surprise, before smiling happily.

"Go back to class before you get in trouble", Matthew said, pushing the Australian in the direction of his classroom.

"Okay, okay! See you later Mattie, okay?" Dan said over his shoulder, heading back to class finally. Matthew nodded and waved at him as he left.


End file.
